ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. march — music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fall — to drop
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. chip — for betting
  10. tube — a container
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. vault — a safe
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fall — the season
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com